Dearest You
by TwoFacedPierrot
Summary: Lag Seeing had always wanted to be a Letter Bee. But when he did get accepted in his dream school, he had to prepare to get more than what he bargained for. Tegami Bachi Gakuen AU-ish GauchexLag and several other pairings. T for safety
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there everyone! before some of you wonder "Hey, since when did I add a 'pierrot' to my author alert list?" , it's xMiharuYoite here! :D and well, you should already guess why i changed my pen name lol**

**anyway, to those who know me from my other stories: I'm back~! :D but my updates will be slow for all of my stories as I'm going to have a busy time next year T.T **

**and to those who don't know me: Nice to meet you! I'm an idiot who likes writing and claims to suck at it (and its true) **

**moving on. I'm proud to present to you guys, my first Tegami Bachi fanfic :D though someone else already had the school thing idea.. **

**also, be warned of epic OOC-ness, excuse my mistakes, and Tegami Bachi isnt' mine.**

** Enjoy! Helpful reviews are loved! **

* * *

><p>In a land called Amberground, the job of delivering letters is not taken lightly. Telephones were expensive and only the super rich could afford them, making the habit of using letters a norm.<p>

Letters were believed to be a form of the sender's 'heart'. Therefore, the responsibility of delivering them safely is only bestowed upon a certain number of trained individuals specializing in such affairs.

Individuals known as Letter Bees.

**xXx**

"Thank you and please come again!"

Lag Seeing was helping to run a fruit stall for one of his neighbors. Despite the freezing weather of a winter day, he wore clothing only consisting of a thin cotton shirt, patched up trousers, and a scarf. He had no choice, and he wasn't complaining. Lag was from a poor household, and he had limited amount of clothes to wear.

Lag Seeing was thirteen years old. He had pale skin and silvery white hair that made his single amber colored eye stand out. His other eye was concealed under a curtain of hair swept to the left side of his face. His dazzling smile never faltered as he handled the customers, not even when dealing with extra bossy or demanding ones.

"..Lag Seeing?"

"Yes?" His answer was quick and alert. Lag turned to find himself face to face with a man. He looked like he was in his early twenties and he wore a navy blue uniform. A golden emblem shaped like a bee was embroidered on the side of his hat.

_A Letter Bee?_ Lag raised his eyebrows. "How may I help you, sir?"

The Bee dug into his black messenger bag and fished out several items: an envelope, a piece of paper with words printed on it, and a pen.

"Sign here please," he said, tapping his finger on a dotted line on the paper.

Lag took the pen offered to him and signed.

"Delivery complete." Handing the adolescent the envelope with a curt nod, the Letter Bee disappeared into the crowds.

"What's that?" Lag's neighbor inquired while popping several apples into a paper bag for a customer.

The albino boy shrugged and tucked the mail carefully into his pants pocket. "We'll have to find out later. There's work to do now."

**xXx**

The first thing Lag did as soon as he returned home was examine the letter brought to him. His heartbeat quickened as he flipped the envelope around, trying to find out who the sender was. There were no words written on the envelope – Lag noticed that. He was still slightly confused with the whole thing, until he saw the red wax seal shaped like a bee.

Lag's eyes widened. With shaky hands, he carefully broke the seal and tore the envelope open. There were two pieces of paper inside it; one a map and the other a handwritten letter. Lag pulled the piece of paper out, unfolded it, and scanned his eyes across the contents.

He had to read it over thrice and pinch himself a few times before he could believe it was all real and not one of his dreams.

And then he cried – cried tears of joy and relief. All that tension that had built up over the weeks since he took the exams disappeared. All his hard work – all those endless nights of studying, all those days of feverish memorizing – had paid off.

Lag had done it. He'd been accepted as a middle school freshman in his dream school. He had been listed as a potential Letter Bee.

…

On the last day of winter, Lag was almost jumping with excitement. Tegami Academy is a prestigious school famous for its graduates that mostly become professional Letter Bees after or even before – in several special cases – they graduate. The fees are affordable for middle classed families, so only a limited number of students were allowed to start as freshmen. Lag could never have been able to afford paying, but he'd earned his place through a scholarship exam.

From what Lag knew, Tegami Academy is divided into two courses: one for general education where the students study like any other schools out there, and the other – of course – for potential Bees.

"Lag!" A woman's voice sounded from the other side of Lag's closed bedroom door. "You've been in there for a while now. Do you need any help?"

Lag blinked and snapped out of his reverie. "I'm fine, Aunt Sabrina!" he raised his voice a little in case she couldn't hear him pass the closed door. Sabrina Mary wasn't actually Lag's aunt, but she'd adopted him from an orphanage a few years after his own parents disappeared and left him. She'd raised him as her own since then.

Lag mentally nagged himself for spacing out and turned back to his work of packing his belongings. He arranged his neatly folded clothes into the old trunk given to him by his caretakers. All in total he had three changes of clothes, two pairs of socks –including the one he was wearing – and a pair of worn out, but still wearable spare shoes. He also intended to bring along some personal things, but they were to be kept in his messenger bag.

After checking several times to make sure he had everything he needed, Lag went to clean himself up and change into his best conditioned clothes: a white cotton collared shirt with a black tie and a pair of trousers he'd carefully ironed to perfection.

Finally happy with what he saw, the albino boy then proceeded to lug his trunk of clothes to the tiny foyer of the cozy house he spent years growing up in. He had just set his heavy luggage aside and was reaching for his coat and scarf when he heard footsteps coming his way.

"Here you go Lag," Aunt Sabrina appeared from the kitchen and handed him a small parcel secured with thin, but very much sturdy strings. "In case you get hungry on the way," she said.

Lag took in his hands and nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much, Aunt Sabrina."

His mother figure stood back, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "Take care of yourself, Lag. Don't let me hear anything that would make me go all the way over there just to smack you in the butt."

Her words were teasing, yet there was so much love and warmth in them. Tears welled up in Lag's eyes. And without even thinking twice, he'd rushed over and hugged the lady like how a child would hug his mother after thinking he'd lost her and finally finding her again.

"Thank you so much for everything!" he wailed almost uncontrollably. Aunt Sabrina sighed and returned the hug, her own tears spilling at the sight of her adoptive son's.

"Silly boy. You're thirteen now," she chided lightly. "Stop crying over little things already or else you'll be called a crybaby even in middle school."

"B-but still.." Lag stammered. "I-I.."

"Shh," Aunt Sabrina held him an arm's length away from herself and studied him with eyes that shone with pride. She reached out tenderly and wiped a tear from Lag's visible eye with her index finger and smiled, ruffling the boy's hair. "Enough of this. It's getting late and you're going to miss the carriage at this rate."

Reluctantly, Lag nodded and inhaled sharply, trying to calm himself. He straightened up, took his coat and shrugged it on, and slung his messenger bag across his shoulders. He headed to the door, paused, and turned around for the final time.

"Goodbye Aunt Sabrina," he bit his lip in order not to tear up all over again. "Take care."

The lady nodded, and Lag closed the door behind him. He stood on the porch and tried to take in everything he could see: the details of the walls, the arrangement of buildings along the ever-so-familiar street. Lag imagined burning that image into his mind.

_I'll come back some day,_ he vowed. _I'll make you proud, Aunt Sabrina. Just you see._

And with that set in his mind, Lag Seeing started off in his journey to achieve a big dream. To be the best Letter Bee that had ever existed.

**xXx**

Despite his combined efforts with his foster mother, Lag could only afford to get a ticket for a ride that makes its stop halfway through. Lag didn't mind. He was fine with walking the rest of the way. He'd done some calculations and assumed that it would only take him about three hours to walk to Yuusari Central. He wasn't worried at the least. He had plenty of time and he knew it.

Lag boarded his ride after handing in his ticket and promptly took his seat randomly. When the vehicle started moving barely ten minutes afterwards, Lag was somehow not surprised to see that he and an elderly couple were the only passengers. Not many people in his hometown could afford to travel.

Lag rested his elbow on the space between the seats and the windows, and leaned his chin on his hand. He stared outside as his surroundings passed by at a steady speed. The sky was dark and clear. Clusters of stars shone brightly and twinkled as though they were winking at those on the surface of the earth below them.

The albino adolescent had no idea how long he'd been staring at the stars while thinking about almost everything; his faint fuzzy memories of his parents, the times in the orphanage, and the days he'd spent growing up under the care of Aunt Sabrina. And of course, there was his reason to become a Letter Bee.

Back when Lag was a child, someone had told him that letters were the 'hearts' of people put in the form of words and paper, and even a single word could make a person cry with joy or relief. Lag had never once believed that his parents were dead. Ever since he was at the tender age of eight and had first learnt how to read and write, he'd been writing letters addressed to Anne Seeing, his birth mother. But he'd never once sent them. Lag dreamed to be a Letter Bee to travel the world so that someday, someday he could find his mother and deliver to her his 'heart'.

"_..I want to see you, mom.."_ he breathed after a wistful sigh. He soon got bored of staring outside and closed his eyes. He started nodding off, and dreams caught him soon after.

Lag found himself in a world completely different from his own. A huge mat of greenery was stretched towards the horizon. Unseen birds chirped and chorused each other. Dozens of colorful insects darted here and there.

But what amazed him the most was the brightness of the surroundings.

It is impossible for one to squint from brightness in the land of Amberground unless you're very close to the artificial sun. Lag was certain he was nowhere near the light source, but his eyes were already closed to slits. And unlike the light emitted from the artificial sun that was only capable of illuminating certain radius, that light was warm, bright, strangely reassuring, and Lag was almost certain that everyone in that place would get the same amount, not caring where there are.

Lag could feel himself smiling in the dream. Everything was so peaceful, Lag almost wished his world was like that and not as it is now.

Lag opened his eyes and didn't even bother stifling his yawn. His ride had stopped and he could hear the carriage driver announcing their location. Lag hurriedly gathered his belongings and got off, politely thanking the driver.

"You should always be aware of your manners wherever you are and at whatever you do!" Aunt Sabrina's nagging voice echoed at the back of his mind. The memory of her yelling at him when he'd accidentally forgotten to thank a neighbor for bringing them some fruit made Lag nostalgic. It had only been roughly two hours since he had left, and Lag was already missing his home.

_Grow up, Lag Seeing._ He shook his head to clear his thoughts. _The Academy is your home now._

As soon as Lag got off, the driver took the reins once more and yanked, urging his horses to start moving. Lag caught a glimpse of the elderly couple that shared his ride in the carriage.

So this wasn't their stop, he thought. He turned and gazed towards the distance. Lag was standing in the middle of a huge desert. Lag could only see sand, rocks, and plants so few he could count them with his fingers. The walking path was barely visible as there was a light breeze blowing and shifting the sand.

_I've got to hurry,_ Lag decided, staring at the moving minerals on the ground with dread. _A sandstorm might be coming. _

Unfortunately, Lag had underestimated the challenge of crossing half a desert while dragging a trunk of clothes along. Being a little skinny and tiny for a boy his age, Lag had to use a lot of strength just to lift the thing.

And by the time he reached a particular spot with where he had to climb down countless number of small rock cliffs, Lag was going on by sheer willpower. His luggage seemed to get heavier and heavier with every step he took. Keeping his balance seemed to get harder. His shirt and forehead were moist with perspiration. Lag silently prayed to whatever deity he believed in to keep him safe from falling.

"I can't.. give up.. just yet.." he bit his lower lip as he took one last step before collapsing. The space between cliffs were just enough for him to sit and perhaps set a camp in – thankfully. Lag leaned against the rough surface and took in greedy gulps of air, letting his lungs and heartbeat recover. When he'd calm down enough, Lag let his gaze wander towards ground below him.

And he stared.

The view was lovely, yet intimidating in a way. He could see Yuusari Central In the distance, as well as the artificial sun hanging in the centre of the sky like a humongous Christmas decoration, casting a glow over the dark land. Lag's destination was just dead ahead, but the road leading there would be tricky to use. From where he stood, Lag could make out shapes moving in the sand – shapes too big to be desert animals. They looked tiny from such a high spot, but Lag knew they would be difficult to deal with close up.

Gaichuu Buckers were insect-like creatures that bury themselves in the sand, waiting for their prey to step into reach before bursting out and taking them by surprise. It then drags its prey back into his nest to feed on their hearts.

Or at least that was what Lag remembered reading from the Gaichuu encyclopedia he'd gotten hands on from the flea market. He reached into one of his coat pockets and pulled out the map to the academy he'd received along with his letter of acceptance. With a pen he carefully marked out the spots he'd seen movement.

Five bold crosses were scribbled on the paper in a zigzagged pattern. Lag frowned, a little bothered by what he saw. He slipped the piece of worn out paper back into his pocket and reached into his bag for a clean sheet.

Using his bag as support, his laid down the paper and started writing, maneuvering his pen gracefully as he formed neat letters on the pure surface.

_Dear Mother, _

_Are you fine there, mom? Are you eating healthily? I miss you so much. _

_I'm currently on my way to Tegami Academy, mom. I've just been accepted there and school's starting in a few hours! I may not look like it, but I'm really nervous, since I've never been to a proper school._

_Please don't blame yourself for that, mother. I can't bear to make you cry, so please don't blame yourself. I've grown up now, mom. I'm thirteen this year and I'm going to be a fourteen year old boy in the next 311__th__ day. Aunt Sabrina had taken good care of me over the years, so you needn't worry. I've learnt to be independent in those few years! _

_I'm currently crossing the desert by myself, but I'm sure I'll be fine. I'll be fine because after all this, I can finally walk on the road of a Letter Bee. And I'll be able to see you again someday. _

_Take care, mother. They said you're dead, but I know otherwise. I'll see you soon enough. _

_Your son, _

_Lag Seeing_

A drop of moisture landed on the paper right beside Lag's signature. Lag sniffled. His eyes were brimming with warm tears. He quickly ran his coat sleeve across them, chiding himself for his tendency of crying whenever he writes a letter to his mother. Lag had a soft and innocent heart, which often resulted to him being bullied by older children in his hometown. Aunt Sabrina had never stopped telling him to man up.

The thought of his hometown made him wan to sob even more, but Lag clenched his teeth and took in deep breaths, forcing his tears to stay in his eyes.

Lag ate and drank from his supplies after calming down to prepare himself in case he makes a mistake and had to run for dear life. When he was done, he tied the parcel up securely once again with the strings, stuffed it into his messenger bag, and pulled the zipper all the way.

Lag then stood up and stared downward. Five Gaichuus. One boy with nothing but his luggage and a bag of food and stationery.

Lag inhaled deeply one last time, and before he could lose his courage, he descended the rest of the way down the cliffs to go on his way.


	2. Chapter 2

Things went wrong almost as soon as he set foot on the ground below.

Lag had forgotten that the cliff he was standing on was actually jutting outward when he counted the Gaichuus. He'd only looked straight forward while he checked, quite forgetting to include the area right below where he stood.

And by the time he realized, it was almost too late.

Lag felt the sand shifting apart rapidly, and before he could react, his footing slipped. In a terrible moment of panic, Lag was holding on by the edge with only three fingers. Swallowing with great difficulty, Lag dared to glance behind.

A gigantic creature was at the centre of the pit, its shell peppered with sand. The Bucker's exoskeleton gleamed even in the darkness. Its eyes glowed maliciously and seemed to focus on the albino boy as it slowly closed in the distance between them. His eyes adjusted to the lighting, Lag could see exactly how huge it was, and it didn't make him any less scared.

He let out a not so manly whimper as the creature took another step closer. Gaichuu shell are harder than metal and almost nothing made by men are capable of penetrating them. From what Lag had learned over years after years of intensive studying, the only way to defeat a Gaichuu is by resonating fragments of one's _heart_ with theirs.

And there was the main problem. Fragments of the heart can only by loaded and shot through special weapons, and only certain people are qualified to own one. Lag wasn't one of those people – at least not yet, anyway.

Lag shook his head violently. What was he doing getting lost in his own thoughts of all times? There was only one way to survive in this kind of situation, and that is by running. Gaichuu Buckers do not leave their territories even if it means losing their prey, which was one good thing. Even so, something kept nagging at the back of the boy's mind. He thought of the cluster of Gaichuus nested along the road ahead. Judging from the territorial radius of this one, Lag realized he had almost zero chances of running straight without stepping into a trap. He couldn't go around them either. It would take too much time.

Something shot pass him with a whizzing sound and the sand to his left side exploded. Recovering from his coughing fit as the dust and sand gradually cleared, Lag saw a huge needle-shaped spear impaled inches from his left elbow and gulped. The chain-like joint connecting the spear to the Gaichuu's body contracted as it reeled in back for a second assault.

_Ah, so what if I have to run through a Road of Death?_ Lag thought angrily to himself. Using the opportunity while the Gaichuu readied itself, he dug in feet into the steep slanting surface of the pit and scrambled up for all he was worth. He reached into his luggage (which had miraculously survived everything) and randomly pulled out a pair of clothes, stuffing them into his messenger bag. Lag was determined to survive, and he wasn't going to let a mere clothes trunk weigh him down and bring him his death.

But then, it suddenly dawned him that Buckers do not leave their territories, but it didn't mean that they couldn't shift it. Lag looked down and jumped with surprise. The edge of the death pit was already slowly inching towards his feet, threatening to make him fall again.

Desperate to buy himself time, Lag threw his clothes trunk, aiming for its head. To his luck, it managed to startle it for a moment.

And Lag ran, lifting his bag to avoid it from getting in his legs' way. He ran like he'd never run before, at speeds he'd never thought he could achieve. His lungs ached for oxygen and his legs felt like they were burning. His heart hammered and felt like it was trying its hardest to break out of his tiny chest.

Ignoring his body's complaints, Lag continued sprinting through the desert like a madman with hell on his heels. It seemed to take hours, but Lag managed to barely escape the first four Gaichuus – including the one he'd almost brained with his luggage. And he definitely wasn't looking forward to meeting the last two. He was already rapidly running out of breath.

Lag slowed down slightly and inhaled once. Twice. There was approximately two miles more and he would be safe to go at a normal pace again. Motivated by that fact, Lag poured on a final burst of speed.

He had managed to narrowly avoid the fifth Gaichuu, but Lag wasn't as lucky with the last one. One second his foot was on solid ground, the next step he took was on thin air.

Pain shot through his ankle as his whole body twisted and fell sideways. Lag yelled once in pain and desperately groped the air to grab onto anything – anything that could stop his fall. He felt roughness on his fingertips and bent his fingers, digging them as deep as he could into the sand.

Lag looked back when he stopped, and almost wished he hadn't.

He had come to a stop too late. He was practically standing on the centre of the pit. The distance between the Gaichuu and himself was so little, Lag only needed to stretch slightly if he wanted to touch it. The Bucker reared back and screeched, so loud it parted Lag's hair and rattled his teeth. Lag tried to move but winced as he felt a pang of pain through his entire right leg.

_This is it_, he thought bitterly. _I'm going to die_.

Tentacles shot at him like an avalanche, and Lag instinctively raised his arms. His left eye felt strangely warm, and his heartbeat drummed in his ears.

_No. I refuse to die. Not after working so hard to escape the other Gaichuus. I absolutely will not die yet._

Those fierce thoughts clouded the boy's mind and he could feel his eye getting warmer. Lag noticed with a start that his eye was literally glowing, and with great amazement, watched as a red tendril of energy suddenly burst from his palm and soar its way towards a chink in the Gaichuu's shell right below its head – its only weak point. He stayed very still as the Bucker spasmed before bursting apart into a pile of empty exoskeleton.

Lag stared at the pile, his mind failing to process what had happened. That thing he just shot.. it couldn't be..

He leaned back and tried to calm himself down. When he finally did, he decided to not take any chances. That firework display might have attracted more Gaichuu's nearby, and Lag wasn't keen to try his luck.

He gently flexed his ankle. It wasn't broken – thank goodness, Lag sighed with relief – but it was probably sprained and would make it difficult for him to move fast when he needed to. Lag unwound his scarf from his neck and wrapped it firmly around his ankle, biting his lip as he bore with the pain. He then slowly straightened, making sure he didn't put too much weight on his injured leg. He turned up the collar of his shirt, and started to climb his way up.

Lag almost slipped a few times, but with fierce determination to survive, he held on and hauled himself up again everytime he lost his footing.

It took him a good amount of time to make his way out, but Lag did it. He was almost collapsing with exhaustion by the time he got out, but he willed himself to keep going. Lag limped slightly as he headed towards the direction of light. He felt light-headed all of the sudden, but he figured it was just due to the lack of oxygen while he ran.

Lag managed to stagger roughly fifty paces before he finally gave in to his body system's complaints. He felt himself sway and hit the ground.

_Since when was sand so comfortable to sleep on?_ Lag mused, feeling his consciousness slowly slipping away. And finally, everything went black.

**xXx**

"_..I think he's waking!"_

"_Shh! You're being too loud, onii-chan!"_

Lag opened his eyes, his head throbbing up a storm and his whole body feeling like lead. He waited until his vision stopped spinning, only did he dare glance around. Two anxious faces were staring at him from either sides of the bed he lay on, one a boy and the other a girl. They both had silvery white hair like himself, purplish eyes for the boy and pale blue ones for the girl. The boy seemed older, and the girl was about Lag's age.

"..What.." Lag began, attempting to sit up. His ankle still ached when he moved it, but he noticed his scarf was removed and it was properly bandaged tightly. "Where-"

"You fainted right at the entrance to the city," the girl said, worry tinting her tone as she rearranged the pillows to help support him. "It's a good thing onii-chan found you on the way back from his delivery or you could have froze to death out there."

_Delivery?_ Lag blinked at the older boy, his eyes slightly wide with surprise. "You're a Letter Bee?"

"A-Ah well.." the boy laughed nervously. "Not really, actually. It's just part of an assignment I've been given to complete over winter break."

"Onii-chan's a student at Tegami Academy," the girl said proudly, answering Lag's curious stare. "He's a high school sophomore starting today."

School. That word jerked Lag back into reality from his semi dazed state, and he nearly panicked. He was sure he was insanely late and would've jumped out of bed and raced to school right then if it wasn't for his ankle.

"Um.. I'm so sorry," he slowly swung his legs to the edge of the bed, wincing when he put a little too much force on his injury. He realized that the girl was using a wheelchair, but of course, he said nothing. "Thank you for taking care of me and possibly saving my life and I know it's rude of me," Lag paused to take a breath. "But I've got to go now. I'm going to be late."

The siblings exchanged looks and raised their eyebrows at him simultaneously as if they'd practiced to do so.

"Late? For what?" asked the boy.

"The entrance ceremony," Lag replied, straightening up carefully. He'd finished tying his shoelaces and was reaching for his messenger bag that was placed on a chair just at his bedside. But he stopped as soon as he closed his grip on the strap. Sensing curious surprise from behind him, Lag turned around.

"Entrance ceremony?" the boy inquired, not looking as astonished as his sister. "You're a middle school freshman?"

"Huh? Err… yeah," Lag nodded.

"Did you, by any chance," the boy continued. "Get accepted into Tegami Academy through a scholarship exam?"

Reluctantly, Lag nodded again. He wondered if the news of a poor boy from the borders passing the exams had spread all over Yuusari Central already.

"You should rest up first," the girl rested her hand on his arm. "There's about two hours more before the ceremony starts." She then broke into a smile. "I'm Sylvette Suede, by the way."

_I'm that early?_ Lag had been so disoriented; he'd forgotten to introduce himself. _Aunt Sabrina will murder me if she knows,_ he thought.

"I'm Lag," he pulled his bag onto his lap. "Lag Seeing."

For some reason, Lag found himself looking at Sylvette's brother – who seemed to be studying him with interest, though it was hard to tell from his strange eyes.

"I'm Gauche Suede," the boy said and smiled warmly, as if sensing his discomfort. "Nice to meet you, Lag Seeing."

Lag nodded, feeling himself blush for no apparent reason. He could only hope with all his might that it wasn't that obvious.

"It's a pleasure meeting the both of you," he managed without stuttering. He saw Sylvette staring at his messenger bag as if it's the most interesting thing in the world and raised an eyebrow.

"Um.. Sylvette..?" he asked. The girl turned to look at him, eyebrows knitted.

"You're going to Tegami Academy, am I right?" she inquired. Lag nodded, not quite getting how everything was going.

"You're staying in the dormitories there like everyone else?'

_Why won't I be_? Lag thought, but he said nothing and only nodded. Sylvette kept looking at him with that worried expression of hers.

If you're staying there then," she gestured towards his bag. "Why is that all you have with you?"

Lag was silent. He didn't want any pity from people he had just met. It was already bad enough that they practically saved his life. His problems were his own business, and he did not want to share his troubles or whatnot with strangers. Besides, Lag wasn't really keen on remembering that nightmare of an experience, and he figured it wouldn't be much of a problem with only having one change of clothes since he'd be wearing the school uniform about five to six days a week anyway.

Ironically, Lag was saved from answering by a kettle. Sylvette gasped as soon as the high-pitched whistling sound reached her ears. In a flash she was gone to turn the stove off and all that. Lag had never seen someone in a wheelchair move so fast.

"You encountered Gaichuus," Gauche spoke up a few minutes after Sylvette left the room.

"Sorry?" Lag struggled to keep a blank face. He was never good in lying.

"Gaichuu," Gauche repeated, and Lag noticed it wasn't a question. "You ran into one on the way here."

Lag stared at the older boy – he'd been doing that quite a number of times since he woke up – and wondered stupidly if he was a mind reader before he decided, _Okay. No point hiding it anymore._

"Six, actually," Lag said, averting his gaze. "There were six of them along that road."

Gauche didn't even look the least surprised, which was a little strange. "And you don't own a shindanjuu?"

Letter Bees use a variety of weapons and tools in concert with their _heart_ to protect themselves from Gaichuu. One item, the Shindan, is a bullet made from a fragment of a Letter Bee's _heart_. Spirit Amber is inserted into the Shindanjuu- a kind of "_heart_ gun"- and serves as the catalyst to form the Shindan.*

"No," Lag remembered the red thing he'd shot from his hand, but shook his head all the same. "I was just miraculously lucky enough to survive."

But Gauche did not look like he believed that. Instead of saying anything more, he glanced at the clock placed on the bedside table and arced his eyebrows. Lag looked too, and realized that school was going to start in less than an hour.

"We should get ready," Gauche mumbled, almost to himself as he stood up from his chair. "Is your ankle alright?"

"It should be as long as I don't strain it too much, I guess," Lag answered, feeling a little touched by the honest concern of the siblings.

"Good." Gauche smiled. "It means I'll be able to show you around when we get there."

"E-Eh? No it's fine!" Lag quickly refused. "I can find out on my own when the time comes."

"Nonsense!" Gauche said good naturedly. "It would be embarrassing if all scholarship students end up losing their way in the Academy on their first days. Besides, you need to meet the head for your uniform and such, right?"

Lag continued doing his best to refuse Gauche's offer, but the older boy was insistent. Finally, Lag gave in and watched in silence as he exited the room. Lag then stood up and proceeded to tidy up the bed he'd just used: rearranging the pillows and folding the blanket. Making sure he did not leave anything behind, he went out into the foyer.

The albino adolescent had originally intended to quietly sneak out and make his way to school on his own, but the plan backfired immediately as soon as he set foot into the foyer. Being deeply immersed in his own thoughts, Lag wasn't looking where he was going and had nearly bumped into Sylvette.

"S-Sorry!" Lag apologized, snapping back to reality.

"It's okay," Sylvette smiled and held out a bundle of clothes. "Here, take these," she said, ignoring the weird look Lag was giving her. "They're my brother's old clothes and they might be a little big for you, but it'll do."

Lag got ready to argue, but stopped short when Sylvette lifted a hand.

"Just take them," she said. "I know you don't have that much money with you to buy new ones."

"Huh?"

"Aww come on," Sylvette said, almost indignantly. "It's not that hard to guess. The price of the ticket for the ride from your town to ours is already considered fair. For you to only take the ride halfway and choose to walk the other half despite having to cross a desert by yourself and taking dangerous short cuts-"

As she went on, Lag let his thoughts wander off again. Was his life really _that_ predictable? Lag doubted that. The siblings spoke as if they knew what he'd went through.

"How do you know which town I came from?" Lag asked, cutting Sylvette off midsentence.

The girl trailed off and blinked at him. "It was in the newspaper the other day – about a boy from Cambel Litus passing the scholarship exams and earning his place in the Academy."

_Great._ Just what Lag wanted to happen.

"Anyway, here." Sylvette handed him the bundle of clothes which he hesitantly took.

"Thank you." Lag said politely. He was carefully stuffing them into his bag to avoid wrecking his papers and whatnot more than they already are when he heard footsteps approaching. Though he could already guess who it was since there was only that many people in the house, Lag looked up.

Gauche was wearing what seemed to be his uniform: a white shirt, a black tie with a red strip along the centre, a dark blue blazer with the Letter Bee emblem stitched on the chest pocket with gold thread, black trousers, and brown leather shoes. Lag compared them with the clothes he was wearing and resisted the urge to sigh. _If everyone at the Academy is dressed like that when we reach there,_ Lag thought. _It is going to be downright awkward. _

"Going out already, onii-chan?" Sylvette asked as her brother did some quick last minute checking.

"Mm." Gauche walked over and clapped a hand on Lag's shoulder. "Shall we go then?"

"I'll see you guys in school later!" Sylvette called after them. Before Lag had the chance to ask, the door closed behind him.

* * *

><p>*According to wikia, anyway owo''<p>

**So.. to clear things up in case everyone had been reading this chapter with a "WTH?" reaction written on their faces:**

**1. I'm simply a diehard GauchexLag fangirl but I think he's a LITTLE too old for our dear little Lag ^^' so I changed his age to about sixteen? I haven't decided on that yet ^^'**

**2. yes, Gauche's a little/very OOC here, so I apologize for that. **

**3. in this fic, Cambel Litus is part of Yuusari and not Yodaka. its located just at the borders **

**err.. that's about it? feel free to ask if there's anything un-understandable so far owo **

**my next update might take a while longer. I'm sorry and be warned. **

**Excuse my mistakes. Tegami Bachi is not mine. Thanks for reading~!**


	3. Chapter 3

Lag did not want to admit it, but he felt grateful that he was walking with Gauche.

The road from Suede residence to the Academy was utterly confusing, and it wasn't just because Lag was unfamiliar to the place. If it wasn't for the older boy leading the way, Lag would've already gotten lost in one of the millions of alleys and what not. The identical twist and turns did not make things easier to recognize and remember either.

Despite his friendliness and hospitality back at home, Gauche walked in silence, forming an awkward air between the two boys. Lag had attempted to strike up a random conversation, but he failed to think of anything to say.

"..So.." he finally worked up the courage to speak. He hesitated for a moment, groping for a subject to talk about. "..Does Sylvette.. attend Tegami Academy as well?"

Gauche nodded. "She's in the General Education course."

"…Oh."

They said nothing more after that. Lag felt it was strange. It was as if Gauche had left his cheery mood behind at home and replaced them with nothing but seriousness instead. _As if Gauche had no choice but to put on such an image when in public when he was actually a really pleasant person. _

Pushing that thought away, Lag let his gaze explore Yuusari Central as he walked. Dozens of cozy-looking cottages were lined along the streets. Electric lights shined brightly from some windows, and some were still dark with the cottage owners still in slumber. Some inhabitants were sweeping their front yards. Some were getting ready for the business hours of their shops by dusting the counters and turning the 'close' sign over. Some were just heading out to their jobs, their families bidding them a safe and nice day.

The smell of freshly baked bread wafted in the air as they passed another street, and Lag's stomach made some involuntary growls. It wasn't loud enough for Gauche to hear – to Lag's relief. Quietly, he reached into his bag and brought out his last bit of food given by Aunt Sabrina. The piece of bread had gone cold long ago, but Lag didn't mind. Cold bread was better than nothing.

Gauche led him through several more twists and turns before finally coming to a stop at the end of an alley. Halting behind the older boy, Lag tilted his body sideways to get a better view of what's ahead.

What he saw next made him gasp and almost slap himself to confirm that it was all reality.

A huge silver gate towered just across the road, brick walls stretching from either side to as far as Lag could see. A white three storey high building with wings of classrooms stood about thirty meters from the gates. Students – some in uniforms similar to Gauche's, some not – were all around behind the gates, chatting or simply greeting each other.

A grey haired boy that looked barely older than Gauche sat in a gatekeeper's booth attached to the side of the gate. Gauche gestured for Lag to follow him and made his way over. From the inside pocket of his blazer, he produced some kind of pass and showed it to the boy in the booth. To Lag's surprise, the boy lifted a pipe to his mouth and blew.

Dozens of fragments of glowing irregular shaped objects floated from the pipe and into the air towards Gauche. The boy leaned forward to stare at them.

"Gauche Suede, high school second year Class 2, Letter Bee," he announced and nodded. "You may pass."

"..Umm.. Gauche?" Lag tapped his elbow. "What should I do? I don't have a pass or anything like that yet."

"Don't worry about it," Gauche smiled faintly at him. "Just show him your letter of acceptance."

Lag dug into his bag. Papers, stationery, empty envelopes, clothes – where is it? For a second, Lag panicked. He rummaged through his bag again – carefully this time, but still found nothing. He was about to despair when he remembered: he'd slipped the letter into his coat pocket along with the map after marking out the Gaichuu territories when he was in the desert.

He put his hand into the first pocket. Nothing. Lag took one deep breath and felt his second and last pocket. His bare fingers felt the rough texture of paper, and he pulled it out. Sure enough, there was the letter – a little crumpled up but otherwise still very much alright.

Lag approached the gatekeeper boy and showed him the letter. The grey-haired boy raised his eyebrows in amusement when he saw the envelope, once again blowing into his pipe.

"Lag Seeing, middle school first year Class 6, Letter Bee," he said all that without even peeping into the contents of Lag's letter. "Scholarship student," he grinned at him as he returned Lag's property. "You may pass."

"Thank you," Lag kept the letter into his bag, making a mental note to himself to remember that. He then went off to rejoin Gauche at the other side of the gates.

"… Isn't he just about your age, Gauche?" Lag asked as the older boy led him into the white building. Both knew they were getting a lot of curious stares and whispers from the student's in that area, but neither had the urge to pay attention to them.

"That's Camus," Gauche answered after a moment of silence, pushing a set of mahogany doors open and forging in. "He usually goes by the name Signal, and yes – he's a high-school senior this year."

"Why is a student doing a gatekeeper's job?" Lag asked some more, unable to keep his curiosity at bay. He struggled a little to keep up with his companion. "Doesn't he get bored sitting there all day?"

"He changed shifts with his brothers at intervals," Gauche went up a flight of stairs, not answering his first question. Lag followed. "Besides, it's only for the first day and he enjoys it."

"What happens if someone other than the students or school staff tries to enter?" Lag inquired, catching up to Gauche – who, stopped to gaze out a window located between sets of stairs.

"That," the older albino boy couldn't help letting a smile creep to his face as he pointed. "Happens."

Lag walked over and stood next to him to see what he meant. The window was facing the entrance gate, so they had a good view of the waking town. Lag shifted his gaze towards the road. A man – Lag couldn't make out his exact age from that distance – was screaming away and running for dear life while dragging a petrified teenage girl with a giant yellow lizard-like creature on their heels.

Strange. Lag didn't remember noticing something like that when they came, and it was impossible to miss since it was so bloody huge. None of the other students seemed to be bothered by it either.

"Okay… so they get chased by a big lizard," Lag answered himself while trying to keep a straight face, watching the parent and child disappear into the quiet alleys of the city. Gauche nodded, his smile fading as he gestured for Lag to continue following him up.

The head's office was at the topmost floor – or rather, it _was_ the topmost floor. The flight of stairs ended abruptly in front of a set of polished oak doors. Without even knocking, Gauche pushed them open and slipped in, Lag closely behind him.

The first thing that came into Lag's mind as soon as he stepped through was, "_This can't possibly be part of the building._"

It was as if some rich guy's mansion had been built on the third floor. The hallway was covered with plush carpeting. Paintings were hung on the walls with certain distances between each. Complicated designs were carved on the wooden doors. Lag followed Gauche to the last door to their left.

This time, Gauche did knock. A muffled reply sounded from the other side and he turned the doorknob, beckoning Lag to enter first.

The head's office was like a millionaire's study. The carpeted floor was even plusher than the one outside. Shelves and shelves of books lined one corner of the room. A large cherry wood desk occupied the opposite corner. A rack stood right next to the desk, dozens of files and documents arranged neatly in it. There was a door to their right, and Lag had a feeling it connected to the other rooms.

Lag had been expecting to see a serious looking person seated behind the desk, but all that greeted him was a pretty brown-haired bespectacled young woman with a friendly smile. She wore a light gray blouse and skirt, and her hair was tied in a low ponytail. She glanced up as they entered.

"Good morning boys," she greeted. "The head is currently out for an emergency right now, so I'm taking his place for the time being. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Lag shot Gauche a look that meant "_Who's this?"_

"That's Miss Luna," Gauche whispered. "The assistant principal."

"Gauche Suede," the lady's eyes twinkled. "It's a pleasure meeting you. I've heard many..ah, interesting things."

Gauche wasn't completely sure what she meant, but he smiled back politely. Miss Luna turned to the younger boy, her deep brown eyes studying him.

"And you're Lag Seeing, I presume?" she asked. Lag nodded.

"Y-yes! I'd received this letter about two months ago telling me I passed the scholarship exams and telling me not to worry about my school needs and such and to meet the head when I get here and –"

"And to collect your things from him," the assistant head finished for him. She stood up. "Alrighty! Since Signal let you in, I won't have to worry about you being a fake or something like that." She gave Gauche an apologetic look. "You won't mind waiting here for a second, would you?"

Gauche shook his head. "No ma'am."

"Feel free to use to sofa, then," she walked towards the door on the wall and pushed it open. "Right this way, Lag Seeing."

The door led to a room that resembled a big walk-in closet. Brand new uniforms were arranged according to year, category, size and gender on half a dozen wooden racks. Several sets of uniforms different from the rest were hung up and displayed proud in glass casings. Lag figured those were the older versions of the ones their wearing now.

"Hmm.. would a size M be too big for you?" Miss Luna tapped the base of her chin as the mused aloud, taking note of Lag's short figure. "But a size S might be a little too small instead.." She walked over to a rack and pulled out a neatly folded dark blue blazer similar to Gauche's and handed it to him. "Try this on."

Lag shrugged the blazer on and turned to look at his reflection on the mirror nearby. The cuffs of the blazer reached slightly over his wrists and a little more than half his butt was covered. Lag liked it that way.

"This is fine," he said, flashing a smile at the assistant head. "It doesn't really matter if it's a little bigger since I should be having a growth spurt sometime soon anyway."

Miss Luna took one look at him and sighed. "Well since you put it that way.." she smiled coyly at him. "But don't let that be a reason for sloppiness or _I'll_ get it for letting you have that."

Lag chuckled softly as the assistant head continued handing him clothes of different sizes to try on. Shirts and ties were not much of a problem, but things got complicated when Lag tried on the trousers. His bottom fitted in the smallest size, but his legs were too long. His legs were completely covered in two sizes bigger, but it kept on slipping of his waist.

"..Belt?" Lag suggested, holding the waistband of the trousers to keep them from falling off.

"Belt," agreed Miss Luna before going into a miniature hunt for the accessory.

The assistant head returned to the office to prepare Lag's student ID card afterwards, leaving the boy to change into his uniform. Gauche was sitting stiffly on the sofa as she'd offered and was staring blankly into space when she walked in.

"..So how's your sister doing?" she asked, pulling out a black ring file from the rack and proceeding to use the head's desk.

It took several seconds for Gauche to notice and register her question.

"H-Huh? Oh, she's fine," Gauche said, blinking out of his thoughts.

"I see.." Miss Luna nodded, scribbling something on a piece of paper resembling a form, referring to the contents of the file she was holding every once in a while. "..It must be fate, huh?" she mused softly to herself, placing the pen she'd used back into a metal stationery holder.

Gauche stared at her. "What do you mean?"

But before he could get his answer, Lag walked in from the other room, fixing his tie. His worn out messenger bag was slung over his shoulder, and it looked strangely out of place with the clothes he was wearing. Lag noticed the occupants of the room staring at him and arched his eyebrows.

"What?"

"..You look nice in that," Gauche said after a moment of pause. Lag had definitely not expected that. Color once again rose to his cheeks.

"T-Thanks.." he muttered, lowering his gaze.

The boys did not see the secret smile on the assistant head's face at that moment. Saying nothing, she stamped something boldly on the paper and filled in her signature. She then opened one the of drawers in the desk and pulled out a sort of plastic casing the size of Lag's hand with a cloth strap attached to one end. She fitted the piece of paper inside and set it on the desk, proceeding to disappear to another room.

When she came back, she had a small stack of books in her arms. She gathered the items together and handed them to the albino boy.

"Here you go," she said. "Remember to keep you ID card with you always, and don't you dare lose it."

Lag took the items and thanked her. Miss Luna nodded and glanced at her watch.

"Well, there's about fifteen minutes left before the ceremony starts, so why don't you leave some of your things in your dorm first, Lag? It's better than carrying such a heavy load with you for a whole day," she suggested. "Do you mind bringing him there, Gauche?"

There was a certain gleam in her eyes, but Gauche chose to ignore it.

"Not at all," he said.

Just before he exited, Lag bowed politely to the brunette lady before going to join the older boy.

**xXx**

Lag noticed just how insanely big the campus of Tegami Academy was when they walked to the dormitories.

Right behind the main building, there was a walking path that led to several directions and destinations. Gauche had briefly explained to him as they quickened their pace that the school was actually built in a forest area and that no student is allowed to step outside the gates unless granted special permission or during term breaks. And because of that, the school has all kinds of facilities, including a shopping village – "Where students get their daily needs and whatnot," Gauche said – a library the size of a house, and even a greenhouse for gardening freaks.

The dorms were separated into two buildings according to the students' education category. Apparently, the authorities did not bother separating students by gender. General Education students occupy the building on the left. Bees take the one on the right. Lag followed Gauche to the Bees' dorm.

The dorm foyer was even grander than the lobbies of expensive hotels – or at least that was what Lag thought. Comfortable-looking sofas were arranged in squares here and there. A fire place was located at the opposite of the entrance. A giant chandelier hung high in the ceiling, its crystalline glass sparkling from the firelight. Twin sets of stairs were built on either sides of the fireplace, leading to a long corridor of rooms. Lag climbed the stairs with Gauche.

Middle school students occupy the first and second floor while the seniors took the top floors. Lag had asked about the elementary students, and Gauche had explained to him that that level of education only exists for the General Education course. They can then choose to go on as a Bee or continue being a normal student when they reach middle school.

"What room are you in?" Gauche asked, stopping when he reached the top of the stairs.

"Err.. I think it was room 23?" Lag said, climbing the last step.

"Check your ID card."

Lag did as he suggested. His eyes scanned over the piece of paper: Name, year, class, category, ID number… dorm room.

"23," Lag confirmed.

"In that case," Gauche paused for a moment, trying to recall. "This way."

Lag's room was on the first floor. The two stopped in front of one of the many closed doors, the number 23 painted on it with gold paint. Lag rapped the door in case his roommate was already there and needed privacy. Hearing no response, Lag inserted the key he'd received into the keyhole and twisted. The mechanism clicked, and he opened the door.

The room was pitch-black. Not even light from the outside streamed in for the curtains were drown shut. Lag felt for the switch on the wall and turned the lights on.

Lag had no idea who his roommate was and what kind of person he is, but he guessed he could be described as a mixture of untidy and considerate, judging from the way he left the room. Two beds occupied opposite sides of the room. One bed was untouched – its sheets nicely folded and its pillows arranged. Papers, books, and clothes littered the other bed, and an opened luggage bag was strewn on that particular side of the room.

Suddenly remembering that they only had fifteen minutes left since they left the head's office, Lag quickly slipped into the place and left whatever his felt was not necessary for the rest the day on the his bed. He then headed back outside.

"We are really going to be late this time," he muttered as he and Gauche descended the stairs. He sounded like he was on the verge of freaking out.

"I know," Gauche's answer did not exactly help. "Let's hurry."

* * *

><p><strong>Err.. okay. here's some not so good news to those kindly ones out there that are reading this fic: <strong>

**my next updates might be very - painfully, even - slow. thanks to the fact that I'll be going back to school in about four days time and that my important exams are insanely near, yeah. NOT GOOD.**

**I'll still try to write whenever I can, so don't worry and please PLEASE be patient with me TT~TT **

**I thank you for your understandings in advance *bows* I'll see you guys in the next chapter! **

**and before i forget. Tegami Bachi is not mine. please excuse my mistakes, and thank you so much for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry for the late update! OAO School only started for like, barely two weeks and I'm already half dead OTL **

**my next update will also be a little late, so I apologize in advance. **

**excuse my mistakes (esp the OOCness of everyone)! Tegami Bachi isnt' mine.**

**Thank you for reading! **

* * *

><p>Lag and Gauche were late.<p>

But apparently, they weren't the only ones.

The two boys had ran all the way from the dormitory to a hall just nearby the main building as soon as Lag left his things in his room. Lag couldn't run too fast due to his sprained ankle, but Gauche was willing to slow down to let him catch up despite his protests.

They burst through the doors of the hall, panting and breathless. Abrupt silence befell the hall. All eyes turned to stare at their directions. Murmurs and whispers broke out among a number of students about five seconds later. Lag could only make out a few words from some of the louder murmurs: scholarship students.

_It's that rare for a person to pass the scholarship exams?_ Lag wondered.

Gauche leaned down and whispered to his ear. "Middle school first years are using the first few rows in front of the stage on the right," he pointed. Lag looked and nodded.

"We'll have to part here," the older boy said, straightening up. "I'll see you around."

Lag let him ruffle his already mussed up hair and said his thanks before heading to get a seat. He could feel many pairs of eyes trained on him as he walked, and he quickened his pace, keeping his head low. Lag hated to be the center of everyone's –or anyone's – attention.

He found an empty seat and gratefully sank down, hugging his messenger bag close and comforted by its familiar musty scent. Now that he'd settled down, Lag realized just how big the hall was. It could fit every student of both courses, for one thing. A carpeted aisle ran along the centre and up to the stage. From where he sat, Lag could see chairs arranged on the wooden stage, each of them occupied by an adult. Lag guessed they were the teachers. Miss Luna sat at the front row, and she smiled at him when their eyes met. Lag nodded slightly as a response. He then noticed that the seat next to the assistant head's was empty.

_They must be waiting for the head to return before they start_, Lag figured. He let his gaze wander towards the General Education students, subconsciously looking for Sylevtte.

The General Education students' uniforms were very different from that of the Bees'. Letter Bee students wear dark blue blazers over white shirts, black trousers, black ties with a single stripe which color differs according to student year, and whatever shoes they prefer to wear – to Lag's relief. He wasn't that keen on wearing fancy leather shoes like Gauche's.

General Education students donned red sleeveless V-neck sweaters over white long sleeved shirts. Instead of just a stripe, their ties differ in color entirely according to student year. The trousers they wore were dark gray. The only things Lag could find in common between the students were that everyone wore trousers, regardless of gender, and everyone was permitted to wear any footwear that are to their liking.

Lag let his gaze wander over more than a hundred students before he could finally spot Sylvette among a group of other girls, chatting happily together. Satisfied – though for what reason, Lag didn't know - , he turned back and fixed his posture on the cushioned chair.

Roughly ten minutes passed and nothing happened. Slowly getting bored, Lag looked around himself. The two students sitting beside him both had their noses buried in books (though Lag wondered how one of them could read with their eyes closed). Other students were either talking with their friends or simply being introverts and minding their own business.

A yawn escaped Lag's lips, half because of tiredness, half because he had nothing better to do. He had just jammed his mouth close when silence suddenly fell upon the students – again – and Lag heard the entrance doors open. Hundreds of students turned, and Lag had to crane his neck to get a better view for himself.

Two men stood at the entrance, both dressed in expensive looking suits, hats, and sunglasses. When they both took their head accessory off, Lag saw that the shorter man had spiky hair grey from age. The taller man, on the other hand, had long honey blonde hair tied into a ponytail. Everyone stood up as they made their way down the aisle, and Lag knew one of them must be the principal.

The two men climbed onto the stage, and the one with grey hair stood expressionlessly behind the podium. Meanwhile, the blonde man stood a little to his left, grinning like an idiot. The shorter man took his sunglasses off and scanned his eyes across the sea of students once. He nodded, and everyone simultaneously sat down.

"Good morning, students," he said stiffly. "I apologize for my tardiness. An emergency delivery came up just now right before this ceremony, and I could not decline it."

"Actually," the blonde man coughed and muttered. "You could've done it after this, but you'd rather be late so you can make a special entrance."

He got a killer glare from the head.

"Anyway," said the principal, clearing his throat. "Rest assured as I will not waste your miserable time by giving you kids one of those long speeches. I am Calibus Garrard, the current headmaster of Tegami Academy. And this idiot here," the blonde man beside him beamed and made an elaborate bow. "Is my dingo, Hazel Valentine."

Looking at their personalities, Lag guessed everything in the topmost floor in the main building was probably Hazel Valentine's and Miss Luna's idea.

"Since I am already standing here before you people, I might as well say it." The head sighed, as if he hated the idea. "Welcome new students, to Tegami Academy. I do not plan on traumatizing any of your puny school lives.. yet. So I hope you will enjoy it at least a little here. Seniors, sophomores, welcome back. I expect you brats to not embarrass yourselves in front of your juniors – though it is not my concern if you do. That is all."

The students clapped as the head turned around and sat down on the seat reserved for him. A girl hurriedly ran over to the podium. Apparently, she was the host for the ceremony.

"T-Thank you, Headmaster Garrard for your encouraging speech," she said, though Lag thought it was more sarcastic than encouraging.

"And now, some words from the student council president." Students once again applauded as a boy in a Bees' student uniform went up the stage. His hair was a dark shade of gray, and he wore a pair of black rimmed glasses. Lag thought he was smoking a cigarette at first glance, but he looked properly and realized it was just a piece of paper. Why was the boy chewing a piece of paper, Lag had no urge to know.

"Err.. okay. Good morning everyone!" the boy greeted cheerfully. Lag could hear some girls in the audience squeal. "Largo Llyod at your service! I'm the student council president for this year so if there are any problems, feel free to come looking for me before you go bother Headmaster Garrard for it. I'm sure he'll be thoroughly pissed off if you go to him asking where the newest toilet is located.

"As most of you should already know, I am a very lax person. But don't expect me not to do anything if you go too overboard in causing trouble," he smiled somewhat sadistically. "You do not want to experience the punishment I have in mind for you, I can assure you that."

"What about the events for the year?" A random student from the back rows shouted.

"Huh?" the student council president raised his eyebrows, the corner of his lips still twitched up in a smile. "Oh, yes, that. We'll be holding more or less the same kinds of events as we had last year, but with everything in a different theme, of course. The student council might also be planning some other things, so expect to have one heck of a year."

He waited until the roar of cheers quieted down before he continued. "And to start things off, there will be a welcoming party held at the nineteenth hour of the day in the ballroom in three days time. Everyone is invited, though to attend or not it is your choice."

Another round of applause and cheers. Lag was amazed by the difference in reactions from the students. They were silent and dull when the headmaster was speaking, but they were cheering loudly for the student council president. Lag figured Largo Llyod must be liked a lot.

"Now to do my duty as the president before the council members throw shoes at me for slacking off," the boy's smile faded. "As most of you should know, we have quite a number of new students this year so I would expect them to be lost in this place on their first few days." He looked directly at Lag. "There will be some free time after his, so newbies could either ask a senior, a year mate, a sibling, or just wander around by yourself. I would recommend having a person who knows this place well since that'll save a lot of panicking and whatnot. Also, consider this as your orientation, and make the best out of it. Classes will start tomorrow morning." He inhaled. "Now if you'll all excuse me."

With a last hearty applause, everyone headed to the exit and scattered.

**xXx**

Lag stood at a corner, wondering whether or not to go look for Gauche or Sylvette. He didn't really want to bother either of the siblings any further, but even though he said it was fine for him to explore by himself, Lag had absolutely no idea where he should start.

Fortunately for him, his indecision was solved when he saw someone approaching him out of the corner of his eye. Lag turned and saw Sylvette making her way towards him.

"Need a guide?" she asked.

"Eh? Oh it's fine," Lag lied. "I don't want to disturb you."

"Fine?" Sylvette made a not so ladylike snort. "The reason I came looking for you is because you looked so confused and alone standing here in one corner and you say it's _fine_?"

Lag could only laugh awkwardly.

"Anyway, I won't be much help on the location of classes in the Bees' wing since I'm a Gen. Ed student, but I can roughly guide you around school and tell you about our customs and stuff."

"Where's Gauche?" Lag asked before he could stop himself.

A shadow passed over Sylvette's face as she pointed. Lag averted his gaze to the direction she was pointing at.

Gauche was standing in the middle of a crowd of girls, trying to make them leave him alone. Most of the girls were General Education students, Lag noticed. Maybe female Letter Bees just aren't interested in such things.

"Fangirls," Sylvette muttered with annoyance. Lag nodded, feeling a twinge a jealousy deep in his heart, but he swallowed the feeling.

"Come on," Sylvette spun her wheelchair around skillfully - something only a person with a lot of practice could do. "He won't be catching up with us for a while so we might as well start off first. There's a lot for you to know."

Lag followed his friend to the nearest facility, which happened to be the main building. There was a pair of doors at the back of the building, but they took the longer way and went in through the front doors.

"General Education students use the left wing, and Bees take the right one," Sylvette explained as she wheeled through the hallways with Lag next to her. "Bees are always on the right side, be it dorms, classes, seats, you get the picture. It's kinda like a tradition, but at least it's easy to remember." They turned into a corridor. "There's only two classes per year, so middle schoolers take the first year and high schoolers take the second floor. The top floor, as you already know, belongs to the headmaster – though it would be more accurate to say that the topmost floor of the Bees' wing belongs to the principal."

Lag recalled going to the head's office, how utterly long the corridor looked, how many room the place seemed to have. And that was just half of the building.

"There are two years for the elementary division in the Gen Ed course, so we take up more or less the same amount of space as you guys," Sylvette continued. "And before I forget, Letter Bee students are divided into delivery specialists and dingos, which explains why there's two classes."

"Work jargons," Lag quoted, remembering the notes he did when he was studying for the scholarship exams. "Partners of Letter Bees."

"Yep," Sylvette said, not looking at him. "Them."

"How do we differentiate Letter Bee students with dingos, then?" Lag asked as Sylvette showed him to his homeroom.

"They wear armbands over their left arms," Sylvette said and pointed to a random passing student. "Like that."

"I don't suppose animal dingos are trained here as well?" Lag asked, watching the student disappear pass a corner.

"They are," Sylvette showed him to the gents. "But they don't study in classes, of course. They have their own places to stay and train – and yes, its part of the campus.

For the rest few hours, Lag toured around the school under Sylvette's lead, learning its history, cultures and all that. Sylvette seemed to be enjoying herself too; getting to walk around campus and proudly teaching things to a new student. Though Sylvette was a General Education student, she knew quite a lot about the Bees' course. Lag had asked, and she'd explained that she and Gauche had often exchanged stories during school breaks. Gauche had told her a lot, Lag noted.

After showing him the roads and most of the rest of the other facilities, Sylvette took Lag back to the main building. This time, they entered through the back door. Lag's stomach rumbled at the scent of food cooking before they'd even stepped through.

"This," Sylvette shoved the doors open. "Is the cafeteria."'

The noise hit them like a wave as soon as they stepped through. Students hustled about, some yelling at their friends, some waiting impatiently in line for their turn to place their orders, some carrying trays of food to their tables.

Again, Lag's stomach made some pathetic noises.

Seeing the embarrassed blush rise to his face, Sylvette giggled. "You must be hungry. Come on. I'll treat you."

"But Sylvette!" Lag protested at once. "I can't let you do that. Gauche and yourself had helped me out enough already. I think I have just enough for a meal at the moment.." He checked his pockets and averted his gaze to the menu printed in big letters hanging right above the serving counter.

Just enough for a simple meal. Lag wasn't much of a picky eater, so he didn't mind.

"..If I'm not mistaken, the curry mushroom rice is delicious.." Sylvette mused aloud, completely ignoring the boy.

"Sylvette!" Lag cried exasperatedly.

"What?" Sylvette blinked at him. "Look, the students here are allowed to receive mail or allowances delivered to them by their families. Scholarship students like us have to rely on the school for money."

"Us," Lag noticed. "You said 'like us'. You're a scholarship student too, Sylvette?"

He didn't get an answer.

"The point is," Sylvette continued, carefully choosing her words this time, as if she almost let out a secret. Why was she not admitting to be what she really is, Lag didn't ask. "We get our spending money – which is about a hundred rin – usually on the beginning of the week. I can see from your face that you have yet to receive such a thing."

Lag only stared at her.

"Anyway," Sylvette started to wheel off. "We get discounts for a lot of things as long as we show our ID cards so its fine. Go look for a nice place to sit in while I'm gone, okay Lag?"

Sylvette disappeared into the crowd before Lag could even open his mouth to answer. Immediately seeing no point in just standing there, Lag weaved his way through the crowds and did his best to look for any unoccupied seats.

He had received a lot of stares throughout the day, but Lag was particularly disturbed by the intense gaze of a group of not-so-friendly looking seniors. He walked pass them quickly, bracing himself to be grabbed hold of and hauled to a corner to be beaten up or something. Fortunately, nothing happened. Lag took a few more steps before he heard an abrupt burst of loud conversations from the same group, as if nothing had happened.

Ten minutes passed. Lag was losing hope in finding a place to sit. He had actually found many empty places, but all of them were 'reserved for friends' as those who were already using the table said. Whether that was the truth or they just did not want to share a table with him, Lag did not know. It took him a lot of bumping on people and apologies before he could actually find some untaken seats.

The table was at the very corner of the cafeteria, just outside the kitchen. It was meant for five people, but only two seats were occupied. Lag was sure of that until he saw the stacks of plates. At least ten plates were stacked up at the edge of the table. The occupants both wore the Letter Bee student uniform. One of them was complaining loudly. The other was too busy gorging down food to notice him. Lag guessed the plates were the work of the one eating.

"Um… excuse me?" Lag said tentatively, afraid they would yell at him for interrupting. Up close, Lag saw the yellow stripes on their ties. The two students were middle school sophomores.

The boy complaining stopped midsentence and regarded him. He had messy raven black hair and brown eyes with strangely slit irises. His extra sharp canines were visible when he spoke.

"Hah?"

Lag flinched slightly at his annoyed tone.

"U-Um.. I-I was just wondering.." Lag nodded to the empty chairs. "A-Are those seats taken?"

The brown eyed boy did not even blink. "Yes. Is that all?"

"Zazie!" the other boy chided between chews. He was plump and not very tall. His black hair was mostly hidden under a cap. His eyes were closed almost all the way, but Lag was too polite to ask if he could actually see.

"_What_?" the boy who had to be Zazie asked indignantly.

"Don't be so mean and stop bullying freshmen!"

"Freshman?" Zazie looked genuinely surprised. He shifted his gaze towards Lag's tie and saw the white stripe of the first years. "Oh. Sorry."

He did not sound at all sorry, but Lag just shook his head.

"Go ahead and sit there," the plump boy said. "Zazie is mean, but he won't bite you."

"..Thank you." Lag chose the chair furthest from Zazie just in case.

"I'm Connor. Connor Kulff,' the hungry boy set down his place and flashed him a friendly smile.

"Lag Seeing," Lag said. "Nice to meet you."

"The scholarship kid, huh?" Zazie whistled.

Lag couldn't hold back the sigh. "I guess."

"You're alone?" Connor asked, chewing off the tip of a piece of pizza.

The image of Sylvette lost in the crowd of students flashed in Lag's mind and he stood up very suddenly, nearly knocking Connor's stacks of plates over.

"Sylvette!"

"Yes?"

Lag almost jumped out of his skin. He didn't even hear the sound of the girl's wheelchair. Then again, the cafeteria was so noisy nothing could actually be heard above the ridiculously loud chatter of the students.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Sylvette asked, setting down the tray of food she was carrying on the table. All three males stared at her, looking as if they just saw a ghost. It was Lag who recovered first – though barely.

"I-I thought I lost you.." he exhaled. "How did you find me anyway?"

Sylvette gave him an incredulous look. "How? I asked, of course."

Lag did not bother to find out what description she used.

"Eat up," Sylvette said, wheeling beside him and pushing the place of rice topped with a brownish kind of sauce and mushrooms towards him. "We won't be having anything for the next few hours, and I can guarantee you'll be starving by then if you don't eat while you can."

"Ooohhh.. can I have some of that?" Connor eyed the lukewarm food wistfully. Sylvette looked at the stack of plates and shot him a glare.

"No."

Lag chuckled as Connor kept whining and pestering Sylvette to share only to have the girl declining him shortly with Zazie chiming in once in awhile by making sarcastic comments. Everything seemed so peaceful, and Lag couldn't help smiling to himself. He was about to scoop up a spoon of rice and lift it into his mouth when he felt his shirt collar tighten around his neck painfully. Lag's newly met friends could only stare in surprise at the person standing behind him as he was lifted a few centimeters off the ground.

"So this is the famous Lag Seeing." Lag couldn't look behind, but he could feel him sneer. "I was expecting someone who looks more their age, but no matter. I think we'll still be having a lot of fun when I show you the _real_ customs of this school."


	5. Chapter 5

**okaayy... this chapter is kinda short compared to the last few ones, so I'll apologize for that first. **

**School is killing me. I think that should explain alot LOL /shot**

**Excuse my mistakes (esp the OOCness QAQ). Tegami Bachi is not mine. **

* * *

><p>Lag choked, his oxygen supply cutting off at a rapid pace.<p>

The cloth of his shirt cut into the sensitive skin on his neck. Lag put his fingers between cloth and skin in attempt to breathe and lessen the pain. It didn't make much of a difference, but it was still something.

Lag had time to inhale trice before he was thrown roughly to the floor. He banged his elbow on one of the legs of the table and winced. Pain shot through his right leg once again and he bit his lip. Of all the ways to land, he had to land on his bad leg.

Lag stood up unsteadily and carefully, fixing a glare at the guy. Lag had experience with these kinds of students in his old school in Cambel Litus, and it wasn't something he was keen to experience again.

"..Bastard," Zazie growled, jumping on his feet. "Leave him alone."

"Oh?" the person who picked Lag up seemed to notice the rest of them for the first time. "The kitty cat, fat boy, and retarded girl are also here?" he grinned as if it was something great and turned around. "Hey guys! Come over! The crew is complete!"

The very same group of students that were staring at Lag not so long ago emerged from the crowds like ghosts from shadows. They were a mixture of Bees and normal students, but their ties indicated they were all seniors. All of them had nasty smirks plastered on their faces.

Lag thought he should be feeling scared, but all he felt was anger instead. Picking on him alone was one thing, but to call his friends insulting names? That was pushing it. Lag glared hard at the elder boy. He had long straight black hair tied into a ponytail. His pupils were also black, and the whites of his eyes had a grayish tint. His forehead was covered with large ugly scars. He wore the uniform of a Gen. Ed student.

"..Look," Lag started, trying hard to keep his voice from quivering. "I don't care what you're all planning to do to me, but leave my friends out of it."

"Trying to be noble and all that won't work, kid," the senior said. "Consider this a lesson to learn here. It's a dog eat dog world out there. No one ever stays behind to be eaten in order to let their comrades escape anymore. Not if they want to survive. My advice is that you care only for yourself and let your friends do the same."

Lag clenched his fists. "I don't agree."

"Then that's too bad," the older boy shrugged. "You'll all get a taste of our shoes all the same."

A plate – with the food still intact – soared over Lag's head and landed directly in the middle of his scarred face. It wasn't exactly the right time and place, but Lag couldn't help feeling disappointed when he realized it was his meal that was sacrificed.

"And you think we'll be willingly letting you creeps feed us your shoes?" Zazie scoffed, dusting his hands. Apparently, he was the one who'd thrown it. "You're either crazy, stupid, or both."

Lag dared to avert his gaze towards his friends. Zazie and Connor were both standing, looking very mad and indignant. Sylvette had her hands on the wheels of her chair. Lag had seen how fast she could move with the thing, and he figured a wheelchair in the face wouldn't be something pretty.

The corner of the elder boy's eyes twitched. "I would be careful in calling people names, my dear Zazie."

Zazie spat on the floor – which, was something Lag thought to be very unnecessary. "'My dear' my foot. Who the hell are you to lecture me?"

"And no one calls a girl – or a boy – retarded when she is not and gets away with it," Connor voiced. Lag could tell from the slight quaver in his voice that he wasn't as tough as Zazie in these things.

"Lay a finger on either one of us," Sylvette said in a steely calm tone that surprised Lag. "And I'll make sure you'll never achieve your fatherhood."

A fight really was about to break out along with a few more insults – until, a russet haired girl ran over and stood between them.

"Everyone please calm down!" she said, stretching both hands at her sides as if pushing the two groups back. "There will be no fights during school days especially on the first!"

The girl had pale yellow eyes and she was smiling despite the situation. Her hair was cut short, framing her round face perfectly. She was a Bee student.

"Tch," the taller senior glowered down on her. The girl smiled sweetly at him.

"Of course, you can still insist on beating up the juniors," she said somewhat sadistically. "But don't expect not to hear a word of two from the principal about it and get your butt kicked after that."

The tension was so thick Lag swore he could almost cut it with a knife. Finally, the scarred boy turned away and walked off, his gang tailing behind him.

Lag and the rest exhaled with relief.

"That.." the girl wiped her brow. "Was scary."

"Thank you for saving us, I guess," Lag said, rubbing his sore neck. He shifted his collar to hide the angry red line that made its way across his throat.

"Anytime!" the girl winked. "By the way, is your ankle okay?"

Lag only realized he was putting all his weight on one leg as soon as she said it. He didn't notice it earlier as he was so caught up with everything, but his right ankle was hurting so much, sweat beaded his forehead and the back of his shirt was moist.

"Nope," she decided. "It's not." She averted her gaze at Zazie. " ,me take him to the infirmary."

"Hey why should I-" Zazie started protesting, but the girl paid no attention to him. She was too busy telling Sylvette and Connor to find for Largo Llyod – the student council president, and report to him.

"Also, tell him to meet Elena Blanc at the council room in 45 minutes," she finished. Upon hearing her name, all three students – save Lag, or course. He was too occupied with bearing the pain of his ankle to pay attention – stared at her.

"Elena Blanc.." Connor repeated. "As in Elena Blanc who's in charge of the freshmen this year?"

"Yeap," Elena slung Lag's arm over her shoulder carefully. Now if you guys don't mind me stating the obvious, your friend here is practically on the verge of dying and we've all got work to do."

**xXx**

For the second time that day, Lag woke up to find himself tucked on a bed not his own.

Brightness flooded his vision as soon as he peeled his eyelids open and he winced. He opened his eyes again – slowly this time, to let himself adjust to the lighting.

A lit candle was placed on the bedside table just next to him. Lag tried turning his head, but it felt as heavy as lead. He let his gaze wander to as far as his field of vision could see while lying down. He was in a small room with a messy desk and a shelve of books shoved to one corner. There was a sort of curtain to his right, acting as a wall or something like that.

Lag tried wriggling his toes. It didn't hurt. Bracing himself, he tried moving his whole leg next.

He couldn't move it. Or rather, it was so tightly wrapped up it took some difficulty for him to even budge it. Lag could still feel the pain there – a dull kind of ache.

Very slowly, Lag sat up, biting his lip and bearing with his spinning head. His breathing was uneven and he was sweating up a storm by the time he was sitting upright. Lag mentally cursed himself for having such a weak body.

"I see that you're awake, boy."

Lag turned his gaze towards the direction of the voice. A man maybe in his late forties stood at the foot of his cot. His hair stood straight up from his scalp and he wore spectacles so thick, Lag couldn't see his eyes. A stark white beard covered more than half his face.

"Umm.."

"Your friends carried you all the way here from the cafeteria," the man said, stuffing his hands into his lab coat pocket. "You should thank them later."

"What happened?" Lag could only remember up until the point where the Elena Blanc girl slung his arm over her shoulder. Everything was a blur after that.

"Broken ankle," the man stated, referring to a clipboard. "But I can see that the damage was done more than three hours ago so we can't blame that Lawrence for it."

"Lawrence?"

"The guy with the scars and scary eyes."

"Oh."

"Anyway, you should rest while you can," he turned away. "You're exhausted mentally and physically. It must've been a hard journey."

Lag said nothing to that.

"I'll ask some of your friends to come visit you later. Anyone you want to see in particular?"

Lag wasn't sure why, but an image of Gauche flashed in his mind.

"Not really," the boy said quickly, hoping he wasn't as red as he thought he was. Fortunately, the man did not turn back. He disappeared behind the door right after hearing his answer.

Lag didn't know how long he slept after that, but the first thing he heard when he woke was the sound of a grumbling stomach. _His_ stomach, to be exact. Soft restrained laughter followed.

Lag opened his eyes slowly, not fancying having himself blinded again after his first experience. An older albino boy sat by his bedside, struggling to swallow down his laughter before the younger could wake.

"G-G-Gauche?" Lag stuttered, his drowsiness gone in an instant. He didn't mean to sound unkind, but he absolutely did not expect Gauche of all people to be there.

"Oh.. ah.. sorry..?" Gauche tried to hide it, but traces of a smile still tugged the corners of his lips.

"What are you doing here?" Lag cringed at his own hostility. Fortunately, Gauche did not seem offended.

"Sylvtte told me what happened," Gauche said. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."

"No it wasn't-" Lag winced as he tried to sit up. His head still refused to stop spinning. "..Sorry."

"I should go get Dr. Thunderland…" the older boy muttered, standing up.

"Wait Gauche," Lag took in deep breaths, feeling the spinning slowly recede. "I'm fine."

Gauche looked at him doubtfully.

"Really, I'm okay," Lag assured him. Gauche didn't' seem convinced, but he reluctantly sat back down.

"The doctor said that you shouldn't move that bad leg of yours too much so that it'll heal properly, but you'll be fine if you use crutches."

"How long do I have to stay here?" Lag asked, quite worried that he would be missing lessons.

"According to what's written here, you'll be fine to leave tomorrow morning," Gauche said, studying the clipboard on the desk. Lag breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good.."

"I'll ask your roommate to bring the books you need for tomorrow over the next morning," he added, returning the item to its original place.

"Thank you."

"Anyway," the senior reached down and picked up a wicker basket. "Sylvette wanted me to give this to you. She wanted to come personally, actually, but something came up at the last moment and she couldn't make it."

"Eh.." Lag took the woven lid off to find an assortment of home-made food waiting for him.

"Sylvette says she's sorry that you didn't get to eat earlier," Gauche said. "So she spent the rest of her spare time in the home economics room preparing all those for you."

Lag bit off part of a small cookie and gasped. "This is delicious."

Gauche smiled. "Glad you liked it."

"I've got to remember to thank her tomorrow," Lag noted, unwrapping the thin plastic sheet that was used to cover a small plate of salad. Gauche sat at his bedside as he ate, watching him with a kind of strange interest.

"Ne Gauche.." Lag spoke up in between chews. "Can I ask you something?"

Gauche blinked. "Go ahead."

"Is it.. that hard for a person to pass the scholarship exams?"

Gauche hesitated to answer.

"I.. guess you could say that," he said after a moment of silence. "The main reason why many students dislike those who'd obtained a scholarship is because they're jealous. As you know, only a handful of people can enroll in this academy. Those who's successfully entered will, of course, feel immensely proud for winning heaven's know how many others in getting their places. In the case of students like you, on the other hand, have places reserved for them. All they have to do is take an exam and they could enroll," Gauche exhaled. "Or that's at least what the other students think. Unfortunately, they do not realize just how difficult it is to pass that particular exam."

"Are you and Sylvette scholarship students too?" Lag asked before he could stop himself. Once again, Gauche was silent.

"We…" he started, speaking slowly as if afraid that he would use the wrong choice of words. "Sylvette and I are a little different."

"What do you mean?"

"..Only one of us got the scholarship," he paused. Lag waited.

Finally, Gauche sighed. "Enough of all this. I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear some boring life story."

Lag only silently shook his head before resuming in eating his lukewarm meal. In truth, he wanted to know more. He wanted to know exactly why students like him are treated like some kind of rare species.

And of course, he wanted to know more about Gauche – though he had no idea why. Lag just had that.. spark of curiosity whenever the older boy is around.

"Something wrong?" Gauche caught him staring into space with his spoon still in his mouth. "Lag?"

"H-Huh?" Lag could feel the heat rising to his cheeks. "N-No nothing's wrong ahahaha…" He did a good job denying. "I- I should clean this up.." Lag finished the last bit of the satisfying meal Sylvette had made and began carefully putting everything back into the basket. Gauche had offered to help, reasoning that he should not move around too much, but of course, how could Lag let him? Aunt Sabrina had raised him to clean up his own mess without relying on other people.

"Tell Sylvette I said thanks," Lag said as the senior picked the basket up to leave.

Gauche nodded. "You should rest. It's getting late."

"I will."

"Good night then, Lag Seeing."

"Good night, Gauche."

The door closed with a soft snap. Slowly, Lag reached for his bag and pulled out his stationery and paper. Using a hardcover notebook as a makeshift table, he placed the items on his lap and began writing.

_Dear mother, _

_I've reached Tegami Academy safely! I told you I could do it, mom! Though I did sprain my ankle a little.. but at least I'm alive. _

_You know what, mom? Everything's so foreign and strange here. They let students do the gate keeping and they use giant lizards to chase off intruders, if you can believe it. Then again, maybe that's makes the Academy so special. _

_It's only my first day here, but I've already met many nice people. Gauche Suede and his sister, Sylvette, even let me stay at their home for a short while when I collapsed from exhaustion from the journey here. Zazie and Connor stood up for me when a senior was planning to beat me up. I really am a lucky person, huh?_

_My right leg's broken now because of my own carelessness but don't worry, mother! I'm sure it'll mend soon. The doctor says I can even walk around if I use crutches so I'll be fine!_

_Mom, where are you? I really wish you're here with me. It's so much brighter here compared to where we lived in Cambel Litus and I'm sure you'll love it. _

_Yours always, _

_Lag Seeing. _

Again, Lag's heart ached to meet his mother. Lag folded the letter neatly and stuffed his belongings back into his bag. He then pulled his pillow over, buried his face, and sobbed quietly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh sweet Lord FORGIVE ME FOR THE INSANELY LATE UPDATE QAQ**

**Its been what, three weeks? more? yeah. more. someone shoot me. **

**Busy schedule plus writer's block. NOT A PRETTY THING. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT. **

**Again, I'm sorry for the late update, the oocness of everyone, and the fact that I actually hinted some ZaziexLag in this chapter despite planning to make this a GauchexLag fic OTL but just to make things clear before you guys come flaming me, I'm not planning to pair up Zazie and Lag, so rest assured GauchexLag supporters lol owo**

**Also, I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. As mentioned above, I was having a bloody writer's block. OTL**

**Excuse my mistakes. Tegami Bachi isn't mine. **

* * *

><p>"Oi Lag! Wake up!"<p>

Lag stirred from his sleep, his eyes stinging from the tears he'd shed the night before. Yawning, he slowly brought his fist to his eyes in attempt to rub the drowsiness off. When he finally looked properly, Lag almost jumped with shock.

"Z-Zazie?" Lag had been stuttering a lot these days. The raven haired boy placed the stacks of books on the doctor's desk with a huff and turned to glare at him.

"Sup," he said.

"You're my roommate?" It was a stupid question and Lag knew it. Still, he couldn't exactly help himself.

"Apparently," Zazie grumbled. "That bastard Suede guy came knocking on my door friggin' early in the morning telling me that, anyway."

"Sorry."

Zazie harrumphed and crossed his arms. "Just don't go breaking anymore bones next time."

Lag nodded and proceeded to slowly get out of bed. Zazie helped by taking the pair of crutches over to him. Lag bent down first – using the bed as support – and picked his bag up. Then with his friend's assistance, he adjusted his arms over the walking aid and wobbled over to the desk. Zazie had – reluctantly – offered to hold his books for him, but Lag refused. He'd decided that everyone had already done enough for him. Lag didn't want to rely on anyone anymore.

It took a small while, but Lag soon got the hang of using his crutches. He was very careful as he moved, afraid that he might slip on the smooth flooring. Zazie brought him to the restrooms to let him clean up a little before they headed to class.

Lag splashed his face with the cool tap water, wishing he hadn't cried his hear out the night before as his eyes were dead tired in the morning. He then gargled some water and ran his hands through his hair to make himself look at least a little more decent. Lag wasn't' exactly planning to give off a bad impression of himself to the teachers (and everybody else, for that matter) on the actual first day.

The bell rang before the two could reach the main building. Lag winced – half from the piercing sound, half because he'd caused his companion to be late.

"I'm.. so sorry, Zazie.." Lag said behind the raven haired boy.

"Hah?" Zazie glanced over his shoulder to look at him. "Why?"

"Because.. you're late because of me.." Lag sniffled.

"Ehhh?" Zazie turned around completely this time. "Hey its fine! I don't mind being a little late so don't go crying!"

"Still.." Despite how dry his eyes were, Lag could still feel his tears welling up. He hated it. He hated himself for crying for even the smallest things.

Zazie stared at the younger boy, completely baffled. Finally, he made up his mind and walked over.

"There's no need to cry, Lag," he rested a hand lightly on the albino's shoulder, barely touched the fabric of his blazer. "I mean, look at me. Do I look like the kind of person who cares about the fact that he's late?"

Lag sniffled again, averting his single visible amber colored eye toward the senior. With his mussed up hair, feline-like eyes and uniquely sharp canines, Zazie certainly did not look like a model student. _He would fit the delinquent image quite well though_, Lag thought despite himself.

"..No," Lag answered, drying his eyes.

"And that's exactly why you shouldn't be so concerned about it," Zazie grinned. "Now let's keep going."

They arrived at Lag's classroom fifteen minutes later. The two boys stood outside, listening to the booming voice of the teacher inside and unsure what to do. Lag placed his hand on the handle of the door and paused.

"..Nee Zazie.." he said in a tone slightly louder than a whisper. "Maybe I should follow you back to your class first. To back you up when you explain."

"Not necessary," the older boy simply replied before clamping his fingers between the gap of the door and its frame. And before Lag could react, he slid the door open.

Approximately thirty pairs of eyes turned their direction. A single student was standing up, possibly in the middle of answering a question.

"What.. is the meaning of this?" A slender woman stood behind a desk, her eyebrows twitching with annoyance.

"He broke his leg. And he can't walk very fast," Zazie said from behind the albino boy. Lag could swear he had never felt so grateful towards someone in his life. Hearing the sophomore's statement, the teacher shifted her gaze onto Lag's bandaged ankle and crutches, and her expression softened.

"Because this is the first day," she sighed. "I'll forgive you." She turned towards Zazie. "You, on the other hand, better be getting back to your own class, young man. I'm afraid your teacher will not be as lenient."

"Tch.. whatever." Shoving his hands into the front pockets of his trousers, Zazie turned and marched off.

"..Umm.. Zazie!" Lag called after hesitating for a split second. "Thank you!"

Zazie merely waved it off without even looking back. He then turned and casually entered the classroom just right next to Lag's as if being late was the most normal thing in the world.

Lag inhaled deeply and nervously stepped inside. He kept his gaze on the ground, afraid to face the curious stares of the other students.

"Well, since you've already interrupted," the teacher sighed and said. "You might as well come over here and introduce yourself."

That was the last thing Lag wanted to do, but he obliged. He hobbled over towards the centre of the classroom, swallowing his anxiety. Steeling his nerves, he lifted his gaze towards his fellow classmates.

"N-Nice to meet you all!" he said. "My name is Lag Seeing and I'm thirteen years old. I hope we'll have a great time together." He turned towards the adult and bowed as low as his crutches would allow him. "I'm so sorry for being late, sensei!"

"I already told you its fine, didn't I?" the teacher said, a ghost of a smile across her features. Lag straightened up, his eyes shining with gratitude.

"Anyway, I'm Sarah, your homeroom teacher," the lady said. "I'll also be teaching you guys some normal subjects. If you got anything troubling you, feel free to find me. Now go take your seat, Lag Seeing. We don't have much time left before the next lesson starts."

Lag nodded and turned to look for an empty seat. Almost every chair was occupied, except for one at the very back corner of the classroom just right next to the second sliding door. Lag headed towards it, feeling the now familiar sensation of being watched by dozens of eyes. He sat down slowly on the empty chair, careful not to strain his bad ankle. He placed his worn-out bag on his lap and set his crutches against the wall next to him. Now that he'd settled down, Lag felt a sense of excitement wash over him. Lessons were starting! He's finally – _seriously_ studying in his dream school!

He could barely concentrate throughout homeroom, but Lag did his best to force himself to pay attention. He remembered hearing something about their schedules for the week. He remembered jotting down some notes on his notebook. But everything was a blur after that.

The bell rang. A male student stood up as Miss Sarah gathered her books and whatnot. The only thing Lag could make out about the boy from where he stood was that he had bright cyan colored eyes and a scar running vertically from his right eyebrow to his cheek. It might just be his imagination, but Lag thought the boy gave out a sort of calm aura around him.

"Stand!" he commanded without much emotion. To Lag's surprise, everyone did stand up, and he followed suit.

"Bow!" the boy said.

Simultaneously, every student bowed. Miss Sarah left the room. Lag slumped down on his chair and sighed – something he rarely did. He then let his gaze wander around. He noticed the girl sitting on the row to his left flash him a shy smile. Still slightly confused, Lag returned the gesture.

"Umm.. hello there," the girl said in a voice so soft Lag could barely hear her. She had dark brown eyes and straight black hair that spilled a little past her shoulders. Though they were both sitting down, Lag guessed she had to be at least half a head taller than himself.

"Hello," Lag answered in similar tone. A short awkward silence formed between them after that.

"A-Ah.. my name's Lily Confort," the girl finally said. "Nice to meet you."

Lag shook her outstretched hand. "Same here."

"..You must be wondering what just went on, huh?'

Lag blinked at her, feeling himself blush slightly from embarrassment. "E-Eh?"

"I couldn't help but notice just how confused you look since you're sitting right next to me," she explained. "The boy with the scar is Alraune Reinhold*. Our class representative."

"Class.. representative?"

"Something like.. the head of the class. He's in charge of helping the teachers and stuff… I think."

"Oh."

Before anything else could be said, the door slid open. Silence fell upon the murmuring students as a familiar man walked in. He set his stack of books onto the table and turned to glower at the students.

"I am Professor Thunderland," he said without even glancing at Lag. "And I'll be in charge of teaching you kids about the jobs of being Bees and all that. Practical classes like Shindan practice and physical training will be taught separately. Now let's start." He pulled out a book from the stack he'd brought along. "Open your books to page 5."

Lag had barely done that when the professor started babbling about Letter Bee policies, rules, etc. Lag pulled his notebook from the building pile of books on his table and started taking down points as fast as he could catch up. Halfway through, Lag noticed that he'd already knew most of the things being taught thanks to his countless hours of self study sessions for the exams. Hearing it all again somehow made him feel slightly nostalgic.

Professor Thunderland kept on talking, making brief explanations every once in a while. Some students could only stare blankly at him, failing – and eventually not even bothering – to understand what he was saying. Lag couldn't help but smile faintly to himself, despite how arrogant it made him seem.

Maybe being a scholarship student in some cases isn't so bad after all.

**xXx**

Lag staggered out of his classroom, his brain on the verge of exploding from the overload of information. Professor Thunderland had showed no mercy in the last four periods of lessons, and Lag could see that everyone was half dead. Even Alraune Reinhold – Lag noticed – looked exhausted. Lily Confort, on the other hand, was making her confusion and tiredness very obvious thanks to her habit of scratching her head with her pencil everytime she fails to understand something – which, was what she'd spent majority of her time doing.

Lag sighed. He walked over to the class next door and peeked in curiously. A teacher was feverishly scribbling something on the board. Lag's gaze wandered across the sophomores, coming to a rest on a slumped figure at the far end right next to the corner window. Zazie had his head buried in his arms on his desk, sleeping soundly as if he did not have a care in the world.

Though, it wouldn't really surprise Lag if he really _did_ not have a care in the world.

Sighing to himself once more for no apparent reason, Lag turned and headed to the cafeteria to clear his mind and fill his growling stomach.

* * *

><p><strong>*Alraune Reinhold is an OC belonging to ruri-chu of deviantart (http:  ruri-chu. deviantart. com/). remove the bracket and spaces. used with permission. join us in our Tegami Bachi roleplay group at http : / letterbee-rp. deviantart. com / remove the spaces. **


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